Basic Issues in Agriculture

Indian Agriculture

 Agriculture Sector is changing the socio-

economic environments of the population due to
liberalization and globalization

 About 75% people are living in rural areas and are

still dependent on Agriculture. About 43% of
India’s geographical area is used for agricultural
activity

 Agriculture continues to play a major role in Indian

Economy
 Indian Agriculture
 Provides about 65% of the livelihood
 Accounts for 27% of GDP
 Contributes 21% of Total Exports, and Supplies Raw materials
to Industries
 Growth Rate in production - 5.7%
 Food grains production – 211.17 mt
India’s position in world Agriculture
Rank

 Total Area Seventh

 Irrigated Area First
 Population Second
 Economically Active population Second
 Total Cereals Third
 Wheat Second
 Rice Second
 Coarse grains Fourth
 Total Pulses First
 Oil Seeds Second
 Fruits and Vegetables Second
 Implements (Tractors) Third
 Milk First
 Live Stock (castles, Buffaloes) First
 Agricultural Resources

 Total Geographical Area (TGA) - 329 M.H

 Potential for Biological Production - 265 M.H
 Net Sown Area (NSA) - 143 M.H
 Net Irrigated Area - 56 M.H
 Area threatened by land degradation - 50% of T GA
 Drought-prone Area - 190 M.H
Mile Stones in Agricultural Development

 Green Revolution (1968)

 Ever-Green Revolution (1996)
 Blue Revolution (water, fish)
 White Revolution (Milk)
 Yellow Revolution (flower, edible)
 Bio-Technology Revolution
 ICT Revolution
 Development of Indian
Agriculture : Basic Issues
 Revitalization of Cooperative
Institutions
 Improving Rural Credits
 Research, Education & Extension
 Human Resources Development
 Trade & Export Promotion
 Land Reforms
 Enabling Environment for higher
Agricultural Growth
Thrust areas:
 Diversification of Agriculture
 Inter-cropping
 Micro Management
 Water Management
 Organic Farming
 Agri-Clinics and Agri-business Centres
 Bio-Technology
 Efforts on Policies,
strategies and Frameworks
 National Agriculture Policy (2000)
 National Seeds policy (2002)
 Cooperative Policy
 Agricultural Price policy
 Agricultural Extension Framework (2001)
 WTO/GATT agreement (1994)
In addition to, various working groups, taskforces,
mid-term appraisals and plan schemes (~68)
(for further details www.agricoop.nic.in)
Reports
 Agriculture Credit, Cooperation and Crop
 Horticulture Development including Spices Aromatic and Medicinal
Plants and Plantation Crops
Agriculture Infrastructure/Warehousing/Rural
Godowns/Marketing/Post Harvest Management, Processing and
Cold Storage, Trade and Export Promotion.
 Crop Husbandry, Demand and Supply Projections and Agricultural
Inputs Agriculture Research and Education
 Animal Husbandry & Dairying
 Agriculture Statistics
 Watershed Development, Rainfed Farming and Natural Resources
Management
 |Agriculture Development in Eastern and North-Eastern India
 Agriculture and Allied Sectors
 Organic and Biodynamic Farming
(for further details www.planningcommission.nic.in)
Technologies for Sustainable
Agricultural Development
 Biotechnology
 Pre & post harvesting technology
 Energy saving technology
 Environment protection technology
 Information and Communication technology
 GIS & RS technology
 Internet/Intranet Technology
Fusion of Technologies for Sustainable
Development - A Synergy of Multiple
Disciplines
 Database Technology
 Internet/Intranet Technology
 GIS and Remote Sensing
 Image Processing
 GPS
 Artificial Intelligence
 Modeling
IT led Agricultural Development

The beginning: (e-readiness)

 A two day conference (ISDA-1995 ) was held to
assess IT Infrastructure and empowerment needs
for IT led development in Agriculture Sector (one
of the major recommendations was about 3% of
the agriculture budget should be spent on
Informatics Development)

 IT Plan for Agriculture Sector (AGRISNET) was

submitted to Ministry of Agriculture in 1997 to
establish “Indian Agriculture on-line” and revised in
2000.
 IT Applications for Agricultural
Development Requires Inter-Sectoral
Approach
 Agricultural Research  Fertilisers and Manure
 Agro-Meteorology  Fisheries
 Agricultural Marketing  Irrigation and Drainage
 Agricultural Engineering & System
Food Processing  Livestock, Dairy Development
 Agricultural Extension and & Animal Husbandry
Transfer of Technology  Rural Development &
 Credit and Cooperation Planning
 Crop production & protection  Soil and Water Management
 Environment & Forest  Watershed Development
 Wasteland Development
 IT plan for Agriculture
 To strengthen IT in Agriculture and creation of
Databases & Information Network for Agriculture
Sector :-

 The plan was divided into three schemes by DAC

 Central Sector Schemes proposed

 DAC Hqrs

 Networking of DAC Field Units (DACNET)

 State & District and Sub-District level

(AGRISNET)
Present Status of IT Scheme (s) of DAC:

Various Components emerging as one scheme:

 IT apparatus in DAC Hqrs.

 IT apparatus in the Field offices and Directorates
of DAC (DACNET) Phase II
 Development of Agricultural Informatics and
Communication
 Agricultural Resources Information
System
 IT apparatus for States/UTs (AGRISNET) and
 Agricultural Marketing Information Network
(AGMARKNET) Phase II
Information Systems
Requirement in Agriculture
GIS/RS based Systems:
 Soil and Land use
 Watershed developments
 Disaster management
 Cropping systems
 Agriculture Resources Information
 Organic farming (bio-fertilisers)
 Crop weather watch
Decision Support Systems
 Integrated Nutrient Management
 Integrated Pest Management
 Demand-Supply Projections
 Soil-Water balance
 Credit Management
 Inter-cropping systems
 Bio-fertilizer management
 Early Warning System
E-Commerce Applications
 Agri-Business
(Agri-clinics and Agri-Business Centres)
 Agricultural Marketing
 Agricultural Trade
 Cooperatives
 Horticulture
(horticulture, floriculture, sericulture, aquaculture etc,. )
 Organic farming
 Agriculture Statistics
 Ongoing ICT Projects of DAC
 DACNET (dacnet.nic.in)
 AGMARKNET (agmarknet.nic.in)
 PPIN (cib/rc) (cibrc.nic.in)
 VISTARNET
 AGRICULTURAL CENSUS
 NADAMS (National Agricultural Drought Advisory and Management
Systems)
 HORTNET